Sorry but don’t see the fuss with Jalo, be lucky to get a fee for him from what I’ve seen all season.
The problem with these matches is although they don't matter they are so demoralising. As fans we like to think there are players on the fringes of the first team. We tell ourselves that Benson will be like a new signing. Then we see them play.
We’ve learnt tonight that Cotter & Benson are way behind O’Keefe & Russell, which is extremely worrying considering Cotter had his spot at the star of the season & Benson was pushing for a starting spot before his injury. Shame really if they can’t be arsed to put the effort in….
If thats the beat the academy can turn out - with the arguable exception of Vimal - and the cost of running it is being trotted out as a reason why we can't compete with others at this level, then it's time to shut it down. Second rate nepo-babies and slow-moving dross.
As much as it’s a dead rubber for us (although we could have possibly affected Donny’s chances), it’s a hard watch and typical of us in the majority of these types of games at Oakwell. It’s little wonder that so few bother to attend. I’m just relieved that’s out of the way for another year, and that Saturdays cup game is away from home.
Somebody needs to start asking some serious questions of the people running the academy at Oakwell, because apart from Yoganathan none of the youngsters look anywhere near threatening the first 11 anytime soon. Even the much touted Jalo who if he really wants a professional career needs to stop believing the hype about him put about by the people blowing smoke up his arse at the academy and get his head down and work harder when he is given an opportunity at first team level.
Only Yoganathan that comes out of that with much credit, the likes of Benson, Mcarthy, Nwakali, Cotter, lofthouse and Jalo should have been busting a gut to stake a claim for the first team.
And our manager seems to have come dressed as a combination of Tony Pulis and Jimmy Krankie. Old kid on the block.
Just had a look at the other results tonight and it seems like everybody else at our level, or below, was putting the effort in. There’s no denying that a 1-3 score line against Doncaster is a VERY poor result.